The Marshalltown City Council has approved using council-designated local option sales tax dollars, along with additional monies from department budgets to update the city’s website. At Monday’s meeting, the council voted in favor of utilizing more than $12,000 in lost revenues combined with nearly $800 from various city budgets to complete the necessary upgrades. According to Marshalltown City Clerk Alicia Hunter, the city’s current website is 5 years old, which means it is now in the re-design stage as per the original contract. Hunter says the upgrades will greatly benefit important entities such as the Police & Fire Departments.

At Monday’s meeting, the council also heard from Marshalltown Fire Chief Dave Rierson, who gave an update on department activity from the year 2021. Rierson noted that the department had a 12% increase in calls during the past year, which marks the first time it has responded to more than 3,000 calls in a single year. The department also reported its first confirmed fire-related fatality since 2013.

The council also approved allocating up to $320,000 towards a senior low-income housing project. Des Moines based Conlin Development Corporation has applied for tax credits through the Iowa Finance Authority to build a 45,000 square foot housing facility known as “Timber Ridge” at 403 Church Street. The facility would be geared towards residents 55 & old with the cost of living per unit based on the style & income bracket or each individual resident.